Disparate
by Huhuchocolate
Summary: "I'm Blue's sister," Silver said in a monotone. "Really? She never mentioned she had a sis - I mean, she never told me she had a sister," Gold replied with interest. Gold knows Silver was disparate, if he compared her to other females he's met. And even dated. But he can't help himself. He's falling again. She'll catch him; hopefully. - Fem!Silver/Gold. Slight AU.
1. Chapter 1

**Author's note : I've been inactive lately because I had a major exam going. I used to feel empty inside and now that it's over - I pretty much still feel empty inside. I don't support that, uh... okay, I have to check that word up, wait a minute - yeah, I don't support 'yaoi' because I find it creepy personally. Just like 'yuri'. But to each their own. So this is a take on the shipping Gold from pokespe and Fem!Silver from pokespe. Silver in HGSS pisses me off because he keeps saying I'm weak - when I beat him. I don't actually know what to say anymore - so just read and review. Like what every author on this site wants their readers to do. Enjoy. ~**

* * *

Gold would love to say that how he met the love of his life – the _actual _love of his life (because he was deluded many times before) – was when he used his famous pick-up line on her.

"Hey, darling, ever heard of Arceus? Because you're the sweetest creation ever created,"

Yeah, that cheesy line would bring Gold lots of hits – literally. Not the kind he was looking for. How Gold met this beautiful girl with the russet hair, however, wasn't through cheesy pick-up lines.

He threw up on her.

"Why did you throw up on S-Silver, G-Gold? T-take it back!" Blue growled angrily, swaying on the girl, Silver's, shoulder for , I don't know how Gold was supposed to 'take it back', but you know drunk people.

Gold still felt sick due to too much drinking. "Here," Green, the renowned Viridian City gym leader, handed over his jacket to Silver.

Gold expected Silver to blush and maybe even swoon at the thought of hunk-of-a-junk _Green Oak_ handing her his jacket. Again, things didn't go as expected, because she recoiled from the jacket like it was a hissing Arbok.

Instead, she shot Blue a look.

"Who's this, Blue? An… acquaintance?" Even with vomit down her front, the girl managed to look dignified and intimidating. Gold shrank back on instinct.

"O-oh, Gold? Yeah. We should bring him home too, S-Silver. He, uh… just broke up with someone, y-you see," Blue said tipsily, snuggling against Green. Sighing, Silver nodded. Thank Arceus the club was still busy being in full party mode to see her like this.

Silver took Blue gently away from Green and led her outside towards Green's car, ignoring the gym leader. Green sighed and put his arm around Gold as support. "Lean," he commanded. Gold obeyed. "We're going over to Blue's for a while. Whatever Silver thinks, two girls alone at home isn't a good idea," he murmured. Gold hobbled along pitifully next to Green.

"You think Blue will let m-me use her t-toilet? I r-really need to throw up right now," Gold said. "She's not in her right state of mind to refuse," Green said darkly. He helped Gold into the back. Blue was strapped safely to the front, though Silver shot grudging looks at Green. When Gold slumped next to her, Silver ignored him.

This was one of the best things she could do at that moment, because Gold felt sure he would throw up again if he deigned to speak.

The drive home was short, filled with Green barking orders on his pokegear.

"– and find backup, for Arceus' sake. Don't try to play the hero – "

"…Yes and no. I tried to. Yeah. I don't know what they're celebrating. Something about his pokemon getting pregnant… A buneary pregnant with a lucario…"

"And whatever you do; _don't taste the drinks. _I have a strong feeling they've spiked it. The ordinary water. Yeah. But of course, you'd be more careful than _that, _right?" At this, Green shot Blue a significant look. Silver growled lowly. Gold swallowed back his own vomit. Which was sick. He really couldn't keep it down. If Green didn't hurry, he was going to have to send his car to a carwash and give a generous tip.

"Gotta go!" Gold gasped when they finally reached their destination. Silver helped Blue to the house while Green rolled his eyes and turned to Gold. He was currently projectile-vomiting in the bushes, managing to scare a few ledybas away. "You drank the drinks too?" Green asked, coming over and rubbing his junior's back as gently as he can.

"Y-yeah, but not on purpose," Gold replied. "B-blue forced some into my mouth. But she was pretty drunk too. I think someone forced her to have it – not sure. 'Scuse me," Green shot him a pitiful look – and maybe with a hint of disgust, Gold couldn't tell - before looking away.

"Why is this h-happenin' to me, Green? I've never d-drank alcohol my whole life! W-well, except for that time when Mom bought some ch-champagne. But I was s-six and c-curious!" Gold groaned miserably. "I find that hard to believe," A crisp and cool voice said. Gold looked up through his bangs to see Silver, who was now changed into a fresh new pair of clothes.

"How's Blue?" Green asked. "She's in the living room… You may see her if you like," Silver said in a monotone. Somehow, her last sentence sounded like what a grudging killer would say. It seemed like Green was used to grudging killers, because he set off for the house without looking back. "Fine, Green. leave me here all alone and get to Blue, who's p-perfectly safe at the moment. You suck," Gold said through gritted teeth.

"I doubt you're 'all alone'. And you're not going to be left out here," Silver said. "R-really?" Gold asked. Silver sighed. "Unfortunately, Blue wouldn't allow it," The russet-haired girl made her way to the house, followed close by a stumbling Gold. She led Gold into the house and into Blue's bathroom. As they passed the living room, Silver shot it a look of distaste.

"You r-really hate Green, don't ya?" Gold asked, once in the bathroom. Silver didn't reply, but handed him a towel. "If you need anything… I'll be in the room next door," she muttered before leaving. "Real friendly one, aren't ya?" Gold grumbled. He was about to say more, but a sudden twist in his stomach made him bend over the toilet bowl.

"Ugh… Arceus," Gold gasped, dry-heaving into the bowl. He was grateful that Explotaro, his Typhlosion, and the rest of his Pokemon were at home with his Mom. Normally, he would bring them out with him, but tonight was special – he needed to be alone. And after that – he _wanted_ to be alone. Just the thought of this made bile rise up to his throat, and Gold threw up yet again.

Sweat plastered his hair to his forehead and his vision swam. Gold didn't really know how long he had been there, but he felt really lonely. And sick. And he stank like a Skuntank. "I'm never gonna drink alcohol my whole life," he vowed out loud, coughing. "Glad to hear it. It kills your liver," A voice which Gold discerned as Silver's replied.

"…Oh. Hey," Gold said. He was embarrassed at the fact that Silver caught him talking to himself – and also, by his condition. There was a pregnant pause. "So – what're you doin' here?" Gold asked. Silver sighed, rubbing her temples. "Blue's letting you stay in the guest room for tonight," Silver muttered. "Are you done?" she waved a hand at the bowl. Gold realized how much it must stink and blushed.

"I still feel sick so I think I'm just gonna stay here. I know where the guest room is," Gold said at once. Silver shot him a look. Gold couldn't tell what it said. Probably something unflattering. "…Okay," she said and left him. Gold heaved a sigh of relief.

However, a few minutes later, Silver returned. She strode towards Gold and helped him up, ignoring the toilet bowl and how he must have stank. "W-wha?" Gold asked dumbly. "Follow me. I made you a drink. It will settle your stomach down," Silver commanded, steering him out of the toilet and shutting the door. "B-but why?" Gold asked as he was dragged along.

"…I'm not having you stinking up Blue's toilet," Silver said. But she kept her gaze straight ahead as she said this. Gold had a feeling she wasn't telling the entire truth ( maybe she did it out of pity?), but had enough sense to keep quiet about it.

"Thanks," Gold said sincerely. Silver just shrugged her shoulders as she busied herself with the kettle. The herbal drink Silver made was strong and made his eyes water, but it made him feel a whole lot better – in fact, so much better that he had time to really look at how she looked like.

Her russet hair reached an inch or two beneath her shoulders, and her face was pale. Silver's mouth was in a permanent straight line or a frown, and her eyebrows were nearly always furrowed and tense. But what caught Gold's attention were her eyes. They were a piercing grey and blank of all emotion. Gold wondered what exactly she was thinking.

She was different from Crystal; who was always so open and cheerful.

_Crystal… _Gold thought longingly.

"Stop staring," Silver said drily. Gold blinked. "Eh? Sorry, I didn't realize," he apologized, before taking another sip at his steaming hot drink. An awkward silence commenced when Silver sat at the kitchen table, facing him.

"…So what exactly are you to Blue?" Gold began. The living room was silent. Blue must be sleeping. Green had long gone, off to tend to the party and his gym leader duties. Silver stared at him penetratingly. "I'm her… sister," Silver said shortly. "Really?" Gold asked in surprise. "She never mentioned – I mean, I never knew she had a sister," Gold said.

"She never told me you were an acquaintance," Silver replied. Beneath her curt tone, there was a layer of defensiveness. "Okay, okay; you don't hafta get your panties in a twist," Gold replied. A comment like that would make Crystal glare the life out of him, but Silver merely rolled her eyes.

"What were you doing with Blue?" Silver suddenly asked. Her face remained impassive when Gold looked at her. "Oh… w-well, uh…" Gold stumbled on his words, clearing his throat awkwardly. Silver raised her eyebrows. "Okay, okay, fine," Gold said hastily.

"I got… dumped by this girl. I always go to Blue for uh – advice, y' see. She was on a date with Green, but Green had to cut the date short because he had to handle this party… Something about a Buneary pregnant with a Lucario…" Gold trailed off. "She got mad, I guess, and Green brought her along. He told us to stay close to him, but someone was handing out water,"

"He said it was from the Slowpoke Well in Azalea Town. Blue got one and just a few minutes later; she was acting all weird. I got a drink of the stuff too, because Blue sorta forced it down my throat. I felt like throwing my innards out – and then…" Gold trailed off again, realizing that he did throw his innards out. On Silver. "I'm real sorry 'bout that," Gold said.

Silver shrugged again.

"No, seriously, I'm really sorry," Gold repeated. "Look, I'll make it up to ya. How long will you be in Kanto? You staying with Blue or something?" Silver furrowed her brows. "…Yes. I'm working under Oak," she muttered. "Wait; you're gonna work with _Professor _Oak? Like – the Pokemon professor? Wow, you hafta be real good for him to take you in! What did you do; capture Arceus or something?" Gold asked.

But the moment the words slipped out of his mouth, Gold regretted it. That was one of Crystal's many dreams; to catch Arceus. Silver seemed to have seen his forlorn expression, because she softened slightly.

"I used to work indirectly under Elm. I'm under evolution field and research. Elm transferred me over to Kanto under Oak's request," Silver said. "Whoa… It's a small world, huh?" Gold asked. He couldn't help blurting out what came to mind next. "You, uh – know someone named C-Crystal? She works with Professor Elm," Gold said, not sure himself what he really wanted to hear.

"Yes, I do. She's a professional catcher. She works with Elm," Silver droned in a monotone, sounding like she memorized it from somewhere. "Y-yeah, that's right…" Gold trailed off, unsure what to say next. Then, he was inspired by a sudden thought. "I'm gonna be in Kanto for a while too. I actually live in New Bark Town in Johto, but I'm also helping out at Cerulean's Pokemon Day-care Centre," Gold conversed.

Silver nodded patiently. "So, well, if I uh… if I'm free, I can try to make it up to you," Gold said. When he received no reaction, he went on, "You know; we can, uh…" Gold trailed off once again. He wasn't actually sure what Silver liked to do. She didn't seem like the type who'd like to just hang out; but neither did she seemed like the kind of person to spend her whole life in a dusty lab. It was like she was a solitary being – one on her own.

"It's late. Sleep. The drink has its after effects," Silver said, getting up from her chair abruptly. Without a word, she went out of the room and headed upstairs. Gold sighed and lay his head on the table. "You're doin' awesome, Gold. Just awesome," he muttered.

Before he knew it, he was asleep and dreaming about silver eyes which had the ability to projectile-vomit when you got them mad. Which Gold did.

* * *

_Poke._

"…Mmngh…"

_Poke._

"Later, Mom…"

_Poke. _

"Wha?" Gold blinked in a daze. He didn't even have time to register his surroundings when a sharp pain in his head made him groan. "AUGH! My head…" He slumped back down. Not only did his head ache, but now his neck was too – after having spent the night with his head on Blue's kitchen table.

"Wea," Gold opened his eyes slowly and saw a weavile staring at him intently. "Yo, name's Gold. You Blue's Pokemon? Never knew she had a weavile – then again, I never knew she had a sister," Gold reached out to fondle the weavile. It narrowed its eyes at first but allowed it. In fact, it started purring after a few seconds.

"See, Silver? Told you that even weavile can't resist Gold's hands. He's a natural with Pokemon," Blue's voice floated into the kitchen. Gold turned around carefully to see them at the doorway. "Good morning, sleeping beauty! It's a wonderful day outside," Blue skipped into the kitchen like yesterday night hadn't even happened. In fact, she seemed bubblier than usual and even more radiant.

Which sucked, because she made Gold look like a hobo.

"I didn't say I didn't believe it," Silver said, settling down at the table. Immediately, the weavile left Gold and growled affectionately at her. "Your weavile?" he asked. She nodded wordlessly. "You didn't have to say it, Sil, I already know," Blue winked at her cheekily.

For the first time, Gold saw Silver crack a small smile. When she saw him looking however, she scowled and looked away. "I know that," Silver said gruffly. "I'm going out, Blue. I'll buy the eggs later and get it to you by noon. Is that okay?" Silver stood up. "Take as long as you like, there's no hurry," Blue said, settling down herself.

"…Okay. If anything, don't hesitate to contact me through the gear. You sure you'll be okay?" Silver shot a distrustful look at Gold. "I'll be perfectly fine, Silver, don't worry. You have fun training," Silver nodded before disappearing from the room, weavile trailing after her obediently.

"She's training? Really? This early?" Gold asked. The tea Blue made was making him feel better than before – not so hung-over. "It's already twenty minutes past ten, Gold – not that early. And this is Silver's second round," Blue said proudly. "Yeah, about that… You never told me you had a sister," Gold said. "Well, as the only times we ever get to meet is when you either need advice from me or you want to challenge me for a battle, I didn't see the right time for me to tell you that," Blue said coolly.

"…Fine. I'm sorry. I think I pissed her off," Gold said. "It's okay. She's forgiven you already. Now stop changing the subject," Blue said abruptly. "What are you talkin' abou – Oh. That," This time, Gold felt as if his heart had just dropped down to the floor. "I don't wanna talk about it," he said, looking away. "I know it hurts, Gold. But if you tell me, I'll be able to help you. After all, that's why you came all the way over to me during my date with Green, right?" Blue asked gently.

Gold made sure to keep his eyes down. He studied the wooden table. After a tense silence, he exhaled. "Fine, I'll tell you," Gold said. "Everything was going fine – the candle-lit dinner, the restaurant, the tuxedo…" Gold shuddered at the thought of the black suit. Blue forced him to wear it because she knew Crystal liked distinguished men. But when the date backfired last night, Gold had stashed the clothes away before putting on his own comfortable clothes and going off in search for Blue.

"Then – then I told her I liked her after the date. I made sure I told her when we were walking at the Lake of Rage, like you told me to," Blue had drilled it into Gold's head that the confession was the most important part. "What did she say?" Blue asked softly.

Gold still remembered the stinging confession Crystal made next.

* * *

"_G-Gold," Crystal looked at his hopeful face. Gold felt his hopes plummet and crash to the ground when she shook her head slowly. "I like you, Gold, I really do. But I don't love you in – in that way. I'm so sorry, but I can't do this," Crystal trailed off and looked at the lake. There was the roar of a gyarados in the distance and a few magikarps splashed about. _

_The gyarados sounded like it was voicing out Gold's frustration and sorrow. _

_Gold wanted to convince her, yell at her, show him how angry he was with the world – and with her. But all that escaped his mouth was, "It's Eusine, ain't it?" Crystal looked at him, those beautiful eyes that made his heart melt reflecting his pale face. _

_He never expected her to nod._

* * *

Blue said nothing, but she touched his hand gently. A moment of silence passed between them. "I'm sorry it didn't work out, Gold. It's my fault. I should've given you better advice. I can help you get her back," Blue's eyes burned fiercely. Gold kept his eyes trained to the table. "'S not your fault, Blue. She chose Eusine, and that's it," Gold said dully.

Blue opened her mouth, no doubt to convince him that they can get Crystal back, but he cut over. "I'm tired. I don't think I'm ready for round two. And – and something tells me that I can't win her back. I just wanna be alone now. Y'know?" Gold said. Blue leaned back, her expression as weary as his. But then her face gained a determined look.

"You know, before I got together with Green – he was a real heartbreaker," she chuckled drily. "So I know what I'm saying when I say this; today, you'll be hanging out with me and Silver," Gold opened his mouth to argue. "Nope, I'm not going to let you be on your own alone," Blue said.

"I'll give Silver a call and we'll all head towards the Tohjo Waterfalls. Not many people go there because the Pokemon there are tough, but the water's warm because I know for a fact that Moltres can be found there," Blue said, standing up. "We'll also have to call your Mom. I hope you've been calling her daily, Gold, she called once and said that –"Gold drowned out the rest of Blue's chatter, sighing.

Normally, he would appreciate the fact that she cared for him but this time, he really wanted to be alone. But once Blue's made up her mind, she won't give up on it.

"Here, it's your Mom," Blue shoved her gear into his face. That was fast. Gold took the phone and winced when he heard his Mom's voice buzzing over the line.

"_Gold? Gold! I've been worrying myself sick over you! Why didn't you call yesterday? Your Pokemon have been restless, and Explotaro burnt the curtains to cinders because he was so hysterical! Don't ever do this to me again, young man! What happened?"_

"Sorry, Mom. Well… It's a kinda long story,"

* * *

**And that's it for the first chapter. I'm working on the update. Sorry if it's a bit empathetic or something - personally, I've never been good with emotions. I usually aim for humour, because romance is a bit hard for me. Read and review.**


	2. Chapter 2

**Author's note : So here's chapter 2. Just in case people are wondering, 'Disparate' means a 'unique quality found within an individual' or even 'different'. I know how to spell 'desperate'. I got a lot of PMs about it lately. Also, I tried to make Gold more mature - no namecalling or anything. But I might change my mind about that. We'll just see how it goes.**

* * *

When he countered his story to his Mom, Gold accidentally on purpose left out the part where he had a date that backfired tragically with Crystal. But he got an earful for not being more careful – and his Explotaro was wailing in the background; probably things like _'Yeah, that's right; you tell him!' _and _'Next time you do that – wait, there won't be a next time because I'll whoop you to high Hell before you can do it again!'_

"All set?" Blue skipped into the room with a picnic basket in tow. "Yeah, but I think my ears are bleeding," Gold replied, rubbing his ear. "Are we going to fetch Silver first?" Gold asked as they headed outside with Blue's wigglytuff. "No, she's flying with her honchkrow. She'll meet us there. Her training spot isn't that far away, either," Blue said.

Blue rode on the pink creature's back while wigglytuff held on to Gold. Gold guessed that a bit of Blue's playful traits must have rubbed off on her pokemon, because it kept trying to scare Gold. "Like trainer, like pokemon, huh?" he yelped when wigglytuff floated to close over a pointy fir tree.

Twenty minutes of traumatic flying (for Gold) later, they arrived at their destination. Sure enough, the place was deserted – except for a hiker or two and a bored fisherman.

Gold saw no sign of Silver and thought she was late when suddenly –

"You kept me waiting," A now-familiar voice with its usual cool tone was heard. Gold whipped around to see Silver emerging from behind a tight clump of trees. "Whoa, I didn't see you there," Gold said. "Which is why you should be more aware of your surroundings – you could get hurt," Silver fixed her steely gaze on him. "Sorry we're late, Silver, Wiggly here wanted to have a bit of fun with Gold on the way," Blue said cheerfully.

"Paranoia much?" Gold shot at Silver as they made their way towards the cave entrance. "No, just distrustful of certain individuals," Silver replied. Gold was pretty sure she meant him. Once they reached the waterfall inside the cave, Gold had to adjust his vision. As soon as he saw it, he immediately forgot his regrets of being pulled along by Blue.

It was amazing; what with the roaring of the water and the dark cave that seemed to glimmer and shine. His wonder was interrupted when Blue's blastoise came thundering into the water and slipped in with a delighted roar that drowned out the waterfall. Her other pokemon played in the shallow bits; but Gold noticed there were other new pokemon too – Silver's, he realized.

"W-WHOA!" Gold couldn't help yelping yet again, when he saw a red gyarados as tall as the waterfall itself towering over them. "You've got a _red gyarados_? Isn't that _the _gyarados which is a legend in the Lake of Rage?" Gold asked, gobsmacked. "Yes, it is," For once, there was a small hint of pride in Silver's voice. "He's a beauty! How'd you catch 'im?!" Gold asked.

"Using a pokeball – I had it paralyzed and weakened before that," Silver replied. "He's amazing," Gold crooned. "Isn't he?" Silver said quietly. Gold stared at the gyarados in awe, before a yell from Blue made them both look up. "Hey! Aren't you guys going to change?" Gold looked over at where Blue stood waving her arms – and felt the blood rush to his face. He coughed and looked away.

"Blue!" Gold heard shock and outrage in Silver's voice. Unlike him, her face had paled down several shades and she looked like she had just been slapped with a magikarp. "Yes, Silv?" Blue asked sweetly. "I told you not to f-flaunt yourself like that, did I not?" Silver looked sick. "Aw, Silver! ~ Green's not here and no one else is here; it's just you and Gold," Blue sang.

"Which is just as bad," Silver shot Gold a furious look. "Shut your eyes," she commanded him. He obeyed, fearing his well-being. "You're not going to force me to change my clothes, are you, Silver?" Blue pouted. "No, I'm not," Silver said reluctantly. "I wish to, but I can't. Instead, wear this over," Gold peeked through his fingers to see Blue being handed a large baggy black tee a few sizes too big. In fat, Gold realized it was a man's shirt.

"Do I have to? You're here to protect me if there's anything," Blue sniffed fake tears. Not to be won over (although it was hard) Silver shook her head. "No. Not until you're… you're m-married to… to _him_. Wear whatever you like then," Silver said gruffly. "Oh ho! So you _do _agree to me marrying Green!" Blue cried out delightedly. Blue had achieved her aim. Even Gold could see that, however dense he is (still not as dense as Red though).

"…Didn't say his name," Silver muttered. "Whatever you say, Sil," Blue winked at her. She slipped on the black tee which covered her modestly to her knees before traipsing off towards the water. "Come on, guys, the water's amazing!" Blue called out, before being dragged into a splashing competition with her ditto.

Blue had let Gold borrow a pair of Green's swimming trunks which she managed to pinch off of him just this morning. Gold was about to throw off his shirt and join in the fun; his earlier fatigue forgotten when he realized Silver sitting down by herself, eyes trained on the waterfall. "You coming or not?" Gold asked her. She looked at him for a microsecond, their eyes meeting, before shaking her head in a firm 'no'.

"Why not? Don't ya feel hot in those clothes?" Gold asked her. He eyed her clothes critically. She was wearing a long-sleeved black shirt along with grey trousers. He doubted that they felt comfortable, even if the cave was cool and dark. Silver glared at him and in a second's flash, a majestic honchkrow landed next to her. It rubbed its head fondly against its trainer's side and narrowed its eyes at Gold.

_You wanna start a fight, punk?_ That was what the bird seemed to be saying.

Gold was saved from a scrap with a huge bird pokemon – in which he'd probably lose – when Blue called out at him. "Stop pestering Silver, Gold! Leave her alone," Blue said. Gold turned around and left the red-head, all the while muttering angrily. "I wanted to be left alone too," Gold growled lowly. He felt glares bore into his back and whipped around, glaring right back at Silver's party of pokemon.

"Looks like you could use a bit of cooling down," Blue commented. "I was just bein' friendly," Gold grumbled, sliding into the water next to her, although he was careful to keep a distance. He didn't have a death wish, and he could still feel eyes boring into his back. Gold watched Blue paddle around with Wiggly for a while. "Why's she so prickly about it, anyway?" Gold asked his senior.

"About what?" Blue asked. "About – about getting into the water. And just… having fun, in general. Man, you'd probably have to kill to see a smile on her face. And I mean it too. You sure your sister ain't an assassin or somethin'? She could sure pass as one," Gold said moodily. "Silver's just modest when it comes to the body. And shy," Blue said loyally. "Shy, eh?" Gold echoed doubtfully. "Totally! Especially when there's a guy around – though I can't be so sure she doesn't swing the other way," Blue chortled to herself.

"I assure you that I'm not shy – or else living would be an inconvenience as the male gender is about half the world's population," Silver's bored voice floated towards them. Without Gold realizing, she was perched on top of a rock not too far away from them. Gold wondered how much she heard – and also, how the Heck she did that.

"What about swinging the other way?" This time, Gold was the one who asked. When Blue said that – it got him thinking that she might just be right. Silver was impassive most of the time, and she never seemed to react. Girls were falling over at Green's feet but Silver, in fact, _despised _Green.

Silver stared at him tersely. Blue was laughing so hard she was clutching her sides. "…No," The red-head answered. "No?" Gold echoed. "No," Silver confirmed. "What about guys?" Gold pressed on. Silver narrowed her eyes. "I have no interest in this mindless conversation," she replied. Blue had left them to scrub her blastoise's shell, so they were alone right then. "Really? Cuz I think Blue's right – you're too _shy _to admit that you like guys," Gold teased. For the first time since last night, he felt a smirk tugging at the corners of his mouth. "Think what you like," Silver said, disinterested.

Wow.

Gold thought that she would blush and deny it vehemently or something – but instead, Silver ended the conversation effectively. No fights, no stutters, nothing. If he had played out this conversation with Crystal; he'd get hit already. Which was actually pretty gratifying. Gold wondered when he had turned into such a sadist.

"…I apologize," Silver's voice broke him out of his thoughts. "'Bout what?" Gold asked carelessly. "For being… anti-social just now. For rejecting your invitation," Silver explained. Silver expected the male to accept her apology graciously – like _normal _people did. But no, this character of a Gold had to 'pull a Blue' and did something else entirely. "I'll forgive ya – but only if you introduce me to your pokemon," Gold said. Silver stared at him blankly.

"Look, we got off the wrong foot, right? I don't pick fights with pokemon – battling's different. Anyway, you have real cool pokemon, and, uh… well, I don't really want my head cut sliced by a certain honchkrow's claws," Gold said. "What do you say? Deal?" he asked hopefully. "Fine," Silver said easily. "You've met Weavile, Honchkrow, Gyarados – that's Ursaring, Kingdra and Feraligatr," Silver nodded at each one. "The deed is done," she finished. "Hey, no fair!" Gold cried out.

"There were a lot of loopholes in the deal. You should have thought it through carefully," Silver replied. Gold pouted slightly. "Yeah, yeah, I know. I'm too reckless. I'm always bein' told that," he said sulkily. Silver watched him for a while. She decided to let him have his way. Partly because Blue told her to treat Gold well – and partly because she wasn't sure if her honchkrow wouldn't actually slice off Gold's head.

"Fine. I'll carry out the deal," Silver said in a long-suffering tone. "Really?" Gold asked. "Gyarados," Silver said, looking at the red creature. Even through the loud roar of the waterfall, Gyarados heard and whipped around to make his way towards Silver. He bent down and nuzzled his trainer; all the while with Silver's other pokemon watching from a dsitance. "Gold's an acquaintance," she said lightly, nodding at Gold.

"WOW!" Gold couldn't help the cry of wonder that escaped his mouth. Silver's Gyarados looked at him suspiciously, as if doubting his trainer would acquaint herself with the male who had just annoyed her earlier. Even so, it bent its head down politely and let him stroke it. "You're a real beauty, you know that?" Gold crooned. Gyarados growled happily. As if it was a sign, Gyarados' teammates continued on with their game of tag; animosity forgotten.

"Silver, Gold; help me call the other pokemon. It's already half past twelve and I'm starving," Blue yelled. Almost immediately, there was a stampede and Gold found that he was patting thin air. The pokemon were already gathered around Blue appreciatively as she revealed the dishes.

"You cooked all this?" Gold asked Blue, impressed. Silver coughed slightly, before turning away to help out. "Nope, I bought it," Blue said. "Well, not with my money – if you know what I mean," she said with a wink. "Hasn't Green burglar-proofed his wallet yet?" Gold asked, smirking at the thought of an angry Green. "Give me more credit, Gold. No burglar-proof _anything_ can stop me," Blue rolled her eyes dramatically.

"I'll give you any amount you want if you just ask, you know that," Silver sounded reproachful as she settled next to Blue. Blue gave her a one-armed hug which made her embarrassed. "I know that, Sil, and it's not like I'm short of dough anyway. It's just more fun!" Blue laughed obnoxiously. "Just like how it's so much fun teasing you," Blue said, giggling. "Yeah, gotta second that. When you have one up over a person; it makes your day," Gold chipped in. "…I fail to see the satisfaction in that; but to each his own," Silver replied.

* * *

When all the plates had been cleared up with no problem from the seemingly ravenous bunch, the trio sat back and watched their pokemon play with each other – only to fall asleep and laze around soon after.

"What're you guys gonna do after this?" Gold asked lazily from where he sat against a rock. "Well… It's already two, believe it or not. Time sure flies when you're having fun," Blue sighed. "I promised Green I'd meet him at the Viridian Gym at five for tea. I'll spend the time before choosing an outfit to wear," Blue replied sleepily. "You look good in anything," Silver said quickly. "Thanks, Sil. But I want to _feel _good too. Know what I mean?" Silence met Blue's question.

"Never mind," she grunted. "What about you, Silver?" Silver looked mildly surprised at Gold's interest. "…Diglett's Cave. Research," she answered shortly. "What? But it's a Saturday! Shouldn't Professor Oak give you a day off or something? I mean, you gotta want some rest after doin' boring old research almost every other day," Gold said. "I'm doing this off my own accord," Silver replied curtly. "Oh," Gold paused, before saying, "Well, it doesn't change the fact that it's boring," Silver merely ignored him.

"You're going back to your Mom's, right, Gold?" The way Blue said it gave him no choice, either way. "Yeah. I promised her I'd be back by today," he said lamely. "Just gotta have to collect Explotaro and the others and head back to Cerulean on Monday. A lot of eggs to hatch," Gold brightened up at the thought, but he still dread going back to meet his Mom's wrath first. Not to mention his typhlosion, Explotaro. "You're a breeder," Silver stated.

Before Gold could say anything, Blue jumped in. "Gold's one of the best pokemon breeders around. He's real talented. Speaking about pokemon breeding – you wanted to check up on pokemon breeding statistics, didn't you, Silver?" Blue asked. "…Yes. It is known that all pokemon have different individual qualities according to the nature of their parents, and these qualities may affect the rate of evolution of a pokemon," Silver said cautiously. Which, in Gold's case, was the longest sentence he has ever heard her speak.

"So why don't you go over to Cerulean's Day Care Centre this Monday? Gold will be there, and I'm sure he has no problem, uh… enlightening you," Blue tried. "I have already enlightened myself, thank you," Silver said, refusing. Blue pouted. Gold saw Silver's expression soften. "Well, you might not need enlightening; but Gold sure could use some help. Right, Gold?" Blue fixed him with a threatening glare. Knowing it would be pointless to argue, Gold gulped. "Y-Yeah, totally. I could use some help," Gold agreed.

Silver clearly did not believe a word either of them said, but a sniff from Blue made her nod. "Fine," she deadpanned.

"Why'd you do that?!" Gold hissed once Silver left them to call back her pokemon to their pokeballs. "Remember I told you not to be alone? Well, I'm helping you out, of course," Blue said. "I won't be alone! I've got the pokemon to take care off," Gold said. "…But still. I made a promise to you, and I can't be there myself, so Silver's the best substitute! Anyway, she's warming up to you, so it's all fine," Blue said happily. "She is?" Gold asked doubtfully. "Totally," Blue said.

Before Gold could say anymore on the subject, Silver approached them both. "As we'll be heading in different directions, you'll need a flying pokemon yourself," Silver stated. "Well, yeah, I guess so," Gold said, never having thought about it. "You can borrow Wiggly, I don't mind," Blue offered. "Honchkrow can easily carry us both, right?" she asked Silver. "Even so," Silver began, "I propose you borrow my Honchkrow while Blue and I use her wigglytuff to get home. You can return Honchkrow to me when I meet you this Monday," Silver said.

"You sure 'bout that? I have no problem with Wiggly, seriously," Gold said hastily, mentally adding _'More than that crazy serial killer of a bird anyway'._ "It is more efficient," Silver said firmly, handing Gold her flying type's pokeball. From inside the poke ball, Honchkrow gave Gold the evil eye. "Well, now," Blue said, watching their exchange with amusement, "I guess I'll be seeing you when I see you, Gold. Tell your Mom I said hi, okay? All set, Silver? Let's go!" Immediately, her wigglytuff rose into the air with the two trainers in tow, and the now empty picnic basket… leaving Gold alone with a maniacal bird.

"Damn," he muttered.

* * *

"DAMN!" Gold shrieked like a girl when Honchkrow nearly dropped him off with a loop-de-loop.

"What the _HELL _do you think you're doin'?!" Gold growled angrily, once righted. Honestly, and he thought his Togetaro was bad enough. It had all started simply enough.

"S-So… Guess it's just you and me, huh, pal?" Gold asked, clambering on top of the pokemon. "Uh… is this okay?" Gold asked. Honchkrow ignored him, as if any position was bad enough. Before Gold had even given an order, Honchkrow had lifted off with a flap of its powerful wings. "W-WHOA! Hey, didn't Silver ever teach you discipline?!" Gold yelled, only fuelling more of its anger. It jerked powerfully to the left, nearly throwing Gold off.

"FINE! You wanna play rough, we'll play rough," Gold said, frustrated, and feeling nauseated. "To think _Silver_ can't even train a great bird like you properly – man, what's she thinkin'; keepin' _a Gyarados_ to herself?" Gold didn't really think like that of course, but he managed to ruffle its feathers properly. It squawked indignantly, fire in its eyes. "Yeah, and she doesn't even have any good come-backs. Man, you had to step in and save her from me, didn't ya? That's real weak," Gold hissed.

And that was how, after just ten minutes of lunatic flying that only a real professional could pull off; Gold collapsed onto the ground of his garden and tried hard to hold off his nausea. Honchkrow puffed out its chest and looked proud.

_Hey, look, I just reduced a badass trainer to a little baby over there!_

"RRRRRRAAAAGGGGGHHHH!" Explotaro burst out of the front door of Gold's house, roaring fit to rage. When it saw Gold sick on the ground however, it turned its rage towards the bird. _Who in Arceus are you? No one can whoop my trainer except for ME. _At least that's what Gold interpreted the roar to be. The pokemon stared each other down, ignoring the pitiful human.

"Gold!" Gold's Mom cried out. "You didn't give me a call at all! And now look at you; lying on the ground like that. Get up at once!" From behind her, Gold could see a lot more pairs of eyes blinking at him almost gleefully (and some even sadistically).

"…And you wonder _why _I try not to come home," he groaned out.

* * *

**That's the end of this chapter. Well, I'll be updating the next one. I don't know how to get this point across, but I STRIVE for reviews. My Mom told me that I probably shouldn't update until I get more reviews, but I'm not that mean. Am I? Heh, you'll find out. **


	3. Chapter 3

"I'm just tired, Mom, really," Gold said, staring dully at the burger his Mom had cooked for him.

"I have never heard you say that you're 'not hungry', young man. You look thinner and paler than usual. What have you been _eating _at Kanto?! I hope you made sure you have your fair share of veggies and fruits! Lickitung, dear, I can cook up a burger for you later – that one's for Gold," Gold's mother added gently to the pink pokemon, who was looking beadily at the plate of food.

In fact, it wasn't just Lickitung; but the rest of the pokemon were gathered around too, all eyes on the burger.

"Honestly, the way all of you act is like I never feed you," Mrs G said with a sigh. "You're not sick, are you, Gold?" She bent down to study his face. "No, Mom," he said firmly. She looked at him for a few seconds, before turning to the creatures. "All of you run along and gather some berries for me. I'll make you toasted berries drizzled in honey if you gather enough," Mrs G whipped out a few baskets and handed it to the pokemon, who started squeaking/chattering/squealing/squawking gleefully.

"Yes, Explotaro, even you," she said, turning around to the fire type which glowered at Gold. "Yes, I'll make sure I give him a good scolding. Now run along and make sure the others don't get into mischief," Mrs G continued soothingly. With a snort at Gold, the typhlosion gripped a basket between its teeth and scurried out after the rest.

Once they were gone, she turned back to Gold.

"Something happened," she stated, breaking the sudden silence in the kitchen. Gold looked up to see her studying him thoughtfully. "And as your mother, you can tell me anything. You know that," Was it just Gold, or did he hear a bit of an edge in her tone? "Yeah, Mom, I know. Nothing happened, seriously," Gold answered, which was half the truth. I mean the relationship he dreamed Crystal and him to have didn't happen, right?

"Young man, I know you well enough to know that something's wrong. Why, if you came home, usually you'd be picking a fight with the other pokemon again," His mom said. "I don't pick fights with them, Mom, they pick fights with me!" Gold replied indignantly. "Even if you're not, you'd be demanding some food – or even getting ready for the next opportunity for an adventure!" Mrs G said, standing akimbo.

Both mother and son glared at each other.

"Well, then, if you don't tell me – I'll just have to use other ways to find out," She turned around and picked up the phone lying innocently in the kitchen. "What're ya sayin'? Who're you gonna call, Mom?" Gold asked, though he had a nasty suspicion who it was. "I'm sure _Blue_ would know what's wrong. I have complete faith in her," Gold's mother said sweetly.

"Fine, Mom!" Gold threw his hands up into the air, exasperated.

"Fine, you win," Gold said sulkily. His mother looked at him expectantly, putting the phone down. "I'm just… just havin', uh… havin' _girl _problems," Gold said grudgingly.

There was a strange and long silence in the kitchen.

"Oh, honey, I'm sure you'll get the girl," Mrs G said sympathetically. "W-WHAT? How d' you know I haven't gotten the girl yet an' – an' she's just givin' me trouble? Geez, Mom, it's like you have zero faith in me," Gold grumbled.

"Honey, if you have a girlfriend, trust me; I will know," His mother said in a matter-of-fact tone, "and I have complete faith in you getting yourself a girlfriend. You shouldn't be bothering yourself about this too much – you're just seventeen! Now if you're still single by the time you're twenty-five, then only would we have a problem," she stated. "MOM!" Gold said, embarrassed.

"Now try to cheer up, honey. The pokemon are angry enough with you for getting them worried for a whole night, and I'm sure you're mood isn't going to help much," Mrs G said, giving Gold a hug that made him squirm. "I'm warning you, they're going to get their revenge and I won't be able to stop them – unless they destroy the house. Which they're smart enough not to," she said, giving him a peck on the cheek. This time, Gold didn't squirm as much, but he turned red.

"Yeah, yeah. Don't be surprised if you find my dead body in bed tomorrow," Gold muttered, before traipsing off to his room. "And, uh, Mom?" he called out to her, "I don't feel like havin' dinner tonight, so you don't hafta cook for me," He ran up the staircase two at a time.

"What?! GOLD! It's not _healthy_ for you to skip dinner!"

Gold lay on his bed, staring up at the ceiling.

Tomorrow would be Sunday, but he sure as Hell didn't want to be seen outside. There was a chance for him to meet Crystal – which he wasn't ready to, just yet. She didn't even call him. But maybe that was because she knew that they both needed a little space from each other.

"AUGH!" Gold shrieked when he saw the tip of what looked like a _peach-coloured cow's udders_ lying innocently next to him.

"What in Ar-?!" Gold was cut off when tiny hands slapped over his mouth and apologetic eyes stared at him from above. His ambipom was the most understanding and loyal one amongst his pokemon. It cocked his head to one side before offering him a piece of roasted berry. "Nah, thanks, Ataro," The purple monkey shrugged and popped the berry into its mouth, before staring at Gold.

"…"

"Yeah, I know Explotaro and the others are mad at me, I can tell. And I can tell that you're here because Explotaro told you to find out what's goin' on. Mom didn't wanna tell you guys, huh?" Gold asked sardonically.

A quick nod from Ataro.

"Well, if you really wanna know – since I'm not gonna get over this real quick, so I'd better just tell you – Crystal doesn't love me. Okay? Tell Explotaro that," Gold heard a small wobble in his voice and growled, ashamed. Ataro patted his hand gently as Gold looked away, as if saying, _Hey, at least you still have us. Not the end of the world, right? _

"…Nah, I guess you're right. It's not," Gold sighed, throwing an arm over his eyes. "But I feel like such a moron, y'know? Going through all that," Gold winced at the thought of Blue combing his unruly hair for the date," For nothin'," he sighed. Ataro cocked its head to one side, saying, _Don't you want to give it another go? Maybe it'll be better this time._

"Decided not to. I'm in love with her, totally, but the last thing I wanna be is a relationship-wrecker. Chris – " Gold felt a painful squeeze in his chest. "I mean, she'd probably get real angry with me. And I think Eusine and her has got this thing goin' on between them," Gold muttered. "I had my suspicions, but I never knew she'd actually fall in love with a – with someone as obsessed over suicune as him,"

Ataro nodded and silence filled the room.

Gold closed his eyes and rubbed his temples. This entire hubbub was giving him a headache. When he opened his eyes again, however, Ataro was gone. Gold glanced at the clock on his wall, which read twenty minutes past nine. A bit too early from his usual bedtime, but he really didn't have the mood to do anything right now. The male dozed off soon after in a weary, dreamless sleep.

"Grrrgh…"

A growling snore.

Gold opened his eyes a crack to see a big furry lump nearly throwing him off the bed - which didn't matter much, because he was half-on and half-off already. Explotaro opened its eyes and growled affectionately at Gold, rubbing its head against its trainer's head.

"…So Ataro told you, huh?" Gold guessed, yawning.

Explotaro nodded before nudging a blue lump at the foot of the bed. Mantaro, Gold's mantine, hopped up onto the bed and handed him his pokegear. "Someone called?" Gold asked. When he saw the caller ID, he was surprised to see his senior, Red's name. Dread filled his body from top to toe. "_Red_ called me? Arceus, don't tell me _Blue_ told him anything about my love life!" Gold said, feeling anxious.

Now wide awake, he dialled Red's number and waited in apprehension. Gold just had to wait a second before Red answered.

"Hi, Gold, I'm glad you called," Red answered eagerly. "Hey, Red – uh, sorry I didn't answer. I was asleep just now," Gold apologized. Gold shot a look at his clock and was surprised to see it was just seven in the morning. "Oh, sorry 'bout that. I was training and came up with this brilliant battle strategy, and I thought you'd like to meet up for a battle," Red said, an obvious challenge in his tone.

"That'd be great!" Gold said, and his pokemon perked up. "But… What time did you call me, Red?" Gold asked. "Oh… I think it was around 4:15 am. Can't be too sure. Pika reminded me that you would probably be asleep," Red answered. "And, uh… did you get any sleep last night?" Gold asked, already sure what the answer would be. "Well – now that I think about it, I don't think so," Red laughed, "Okay then; I'll meet you at Mt. Silver in – say half an hour's time? You think you can make it?"

"I'll be there. Just watch out, I have some tricks up my sleeve too," Gold answered. "We'll see," Red's voice lowered an octave, sending shivers down Gold's spine. Red can sound like a serial killer ready to pounce when he was challenged. When he offed the gear, Gold found his team of pokemon gathered around him excitedly. "Yup, we're gonna have a battle against Red in half an hour at Mt. Silver. I'll go get ready – then we're gonna pulverize his team," Gold said, smashing a fist into his palm.

In just ten minutes, Gold was out the door with his Togetaro swooping ahead of him.

"Young man, where do you think you're going?! You haven't had any breakfast yet," His mom huffed at him. "Oops, sorry – I'll be at Mt. Silver with Red, Mom," Gold grabbed a piece of toast and kissed his mother's cheek before running out to an impatient Togetaro. "As long as you have your pokemon, I don't think I'll worry that much," Mrs G said, "Bye then, dear, though it wouldn't hurt for you to tell me beforehand next time,"

"Red didn't gimme much time, either. He's awesome that way," Gold said before Togetaro flew off with its trainer. "He's a bit _weird_, if you ask me. But whatever floats your boat," Gold's mother shrugged to herself, "Not like you're not weird yourself,"

In just a few minutes, Gold arrived at the entrance of Mt. Silver – only to find that Red hadn't arrived yet.

"Man; all that rush for nothin'. At least we got one up over Red, huh, Togetaro?" His togekiss twitched with impatience, but another voice caught both their attention. "One up over me? I don't think so, Gold. I've been here from yesterday," Red walked out from the thick undergrowth of trees beyond the entrance. "ARCEUS! Why does everybody keep doing that?!" Gold said in exasperation.

"Everybody? Who else does that?" Red asked, looking interested. "Uh… a friend of mine," Gold said. If Gold didn't know that Blue had a sister, he doubted Red would know it. Red was sharp in battle, but pretty dense in real life. "Wow. Cool friend," Red said. "Where's Pika?" Gold asked, looking around for Red's pikachu. "Pika's in his pokeball. He can't stand the cold so much," Red explained. He whistled appreciatively when he saw Gold's togekiss.

"Hey, you've gotten bigger haven't you, Togetaro?" Red asked. Said pokemon puffed out its chest proudly.

"Yup! You're not gonna back down, are ya, Red? You seem a little…intimidated, if you ask me," Gold snickered. "You wish. I love that pumped up energy though – so let's use that energy for something else," Red's grin turned into a challenging smirk. "Race you up the mountain," With that, the older male ran into the cave entrance. "W-WHAT?! No fair, you're cheatin'!" Gold cried out, following suit. Togetaro rolled its eyes before making its own way towards the top.

"Arceus, Red… That was a bad idea. My legs are killing me," Gold groaned out, plopping himself down and leaning against a rock. They were both at the entrance that led towards the snowy peak of Mt. Silver. It was biting cold outside the cave, and Gold curled into a tight ball, trying to reserve warmth.

Red, on the other hand, laughed. He was panting too, but not as hard as his junior; and the cold didn't even seem to bother him; though he had on short sleeves. "It's good exercise, though. You up for the battle, or not?" Red asked. "Heck yeah!" Gold said, jumping up. He could feel his pokemon getting fired up too. "Great! Let's head out," Red said, walking towards the entrance to the peak. "W-wait… What? _Outside_?!" Gold asked, hysterical.

"Yeah, I was planning to move the battlefield from here to the snow outside. It's tougher there – but I've come up with a good strategy we could use. But you'll only get to see it if we battle, of course," There was a gleam in Red's eyes. "Aw man! I thought we were gonna have a battle here, like usual," Gold groaned. Nonetheless, he still tailed Red outside in the harsh winds.

"So… you ready?" Red stood at one end, facing Gold. "Not really, I haven't written my will yet – but whatever," Gold grumbled. "Aw, c'mon, Gold! It'll be fun! Just like old times," Red said soothingly. "I guess so – but this time, I'm gonna win," Gold said, his eyes glinting.

"Th-thanks, Explotaro; you d-did your best," Gold shivered, calling his last pokemon back to its pokeball. He had managed to take down four of Red's pokemon – which was not bad. "You've improved a lot, you know that?" Red said, impressed, nudging Gold playfully. "Y-yeah, my pokemon are g-getting stronger," Gold stuttered. "N-now can we g-get off this m-mountain? I'm d-dying of h-hypothermia,"

Red chuckled, before slinging and arm around Gold and steering him towards the cave. "It's just nine now. You have anything to do later?" Red asked. Gold shook his head, shivering. "Great! There's a hot spring here, believe it or not. Pika found it," Red shot his pikachu a fond look. The yellow mouse was huddled in his jacket for warmth but managed a nod.

Red led the way, Gold stumbling along behind him. The cave seemed to get narrower and darker whch didn't suit Gold well.

"Red? Are we there yet? I'm getting kinda claustrophobic here," Gold said nervously. "Just a bit more…" Red said, "And we're here," Red moved aside for Gold to have a better view. It was dimly lit, and there was quite a large pool. The rocks were slippery with moss but what caught Gold's attention the most was the heat emanating from the bubbling pit.

"Whoa! I can't really see it, but I can tell it's awesome," Gold said. "Take off your shoes – the water's hot," Red said, taking off his gloves. Soon, both trainers and their pokemon were enjoying the hot spring. Gold sighed happily, rubbing his mantine's body with the water. "This is the life," Gold sighed happily. Red nodded in agreement.

"Do you always come here?" Gold asked. "Yeah – Pika and the gang love it here. After training, we just wind down by soaking ourselves," Red replied. The conversation went on for a while about battle strategies and training tactics before they trailed off into a comfortable silence. "Now that there's no trouble being stirred around, everything's peaceful," Gold stated.

"Yeah…" Red sighed. "Honestly? It's getting boring. I know we should be grateful that there's no trouble about; but I just feel - empty, somehow," Red said almost wistfully. "But maybe it's just me," he continued hastily, scratching his head. "Nah, I get you," Gold bumped shoulders with his senior. "You don't really get a kick out of challenges now. That's why I turned to pokemon breeding. At least it's something to pass the time with,"

"It's all about passing time now, huh?" Red said, staring at the water's surface with an unreadable expression. Not liking Red's sudden pessimism, Gold tried a different tactic. "But I guess we have time to ourselves now – settle down, get a career…maybe even start a family," Gold said. Red stared at him in amusement. "Dude, 'start a family'? Seriously? You're thinking that?" Red chuckled.

"N-NO! I'm talking about Blue and Green is all. I'm not surprised if he's gonna pop her the question. He's got his career up and runnin', and how long have they been together? Four, five years?" Gold asked. "Four years and three months," Red said in a monotone. "They're moving on. The other dex holders are, too. Everything's going so fast, you know?" Red sighed, shutting his eyes. "Then, uh… you just have to find someone who's at the same pace with you. Someone you can keep up with, right?" Gold asked.

"Like Yellow. She likes you a lot," Gold commented. At this, Red's face brightened, and a soft smile graced his features. "You think so? She's awesome. I'm meeting her tonight at her uncle's house," Red said in a cheerful tone. "Dude, she's totally into you. Everyone can see that," Gold insisted, trying not to face palm at his senior's level of density. "…Well, I hope so," Red shrugged, embarrassed. "But hey, what about you? You have anything going on?" Red asked. By 'anything', Gold knew Red meant a relationship.

"Uh…" Gold never told Red about his infatuation for Crystal. "Well… this girl I liked – sorta blew me over. No big deal," he said breezily. "Ouch," Red winced, "Sorry, man." Gold just shrugged his shoulders. A thought suddenly entered his mind. "Hey, Red… you, uh, know Blue's sister?" Gold asked. Red was silent, thinking for a moment, before his face lightened up. "You mean Silver? Yeah. But she isn't really Blue's sister. Did Blue tell you about her?"

Shocked to find that even _Red _knew who Silver was, and that Silver wasn't really Blue's sister, Gold hastened to continue. "I met her – and we hung out a little, Blue, her and I. But what do you mean she's not _really _Blue's sister?" Gold asked in heavy suspicion. "Blue met Silver when they were both younger. I'm not really clear on the details, but Blue sort of adopted Silver as a little sister – and they've been close ever since. Silver adores Blue," Red said, "She's your age, if I'm not mistaken. Why?"

Gold narrowed his eyes. "Well… She's just – sorta… _unique_, I guess. I've met lotsa girls, but she's on a whole different level," Gold said carefully. "Blue told me about Silver. She's talented when it comes to pokemon evolution. Silver's played a lot of part in evolution research – she's the one who found out about rhydon's evolution into rhyperior," Red said. "R-really?" Gold asked, gobsmacked. _And I thought Crystal was crazy. _

"She doesn't get along with Green well, huh?" Gold asked. "Dude, understatement of the year!" Red snickered. "She sort of hates Green – but then again, I heard she's treated Blue's older boyfriends much more terribly. She gets along with Green sometimes, when they're talking about research. But she gets overprotective when Blue's thrown in the mixture," Red said. "To tell you the truth, I don't think she's hot on our gender much," Gold said, as an afterthought.

"We can't blame her. Blue told me that being one of the few girls in her field is hard – especially since they tend to find it embarrassing that they're losing to her. So there're some spats goin' on, but she's handling it," Red said. "Wow. That's gotta be hard," Gold said. "Yeah. But didn't you go through the same thing when you started your career in pokemon breeding? Most of the breeder professionals were girls, and they seemed to underestimate you – a lot," Red said, cocking his head.

"Yeah, well, I didn't really give much of a damn. The experts caught on quick what was going on – with a little help from ol' me, of course – and they got kicked out," Gold replied lazily. "Well, I just hope Silver's not in much trouble – she's the sort that keeps it to herself. She's got Blue worrying a lot," Red said, stretching.

"Well, I think I'm gonna head home and maybe get some sleep, I don't know," Red said. "Or maybe go bug Green for a battle," Gold said knowingly. "Yeah, that too," Red said with a smile. "What're you gonna do?" Red asked his junior. "…I hafta drop by Elm's lab for some paperwork, actually. I need to fill up some reports on ditto natures," Gold grimaced at the thought. He'd have a high chance of meeting Crystal there – but if he was fast, Gold was sure he'd manage to avoid her. She was usually sent to the fields for work in the afternoons.

"Yeah, I better get going too," Gold said, getting up. They called back their pokemon and made their way out of Mt. Silver, before exchanging farewells. Once Red had gone off on his aerodactyl's back, Gold called out his togekiss and rode it too. He glanced at his pokegear. "Whoa, it's already one o'clock. Guess time flew by in that cave," Gold muttered to himself. Crystal would be out of the lab by 4 o'clock until around five or six. He should make his move then.

"Arceus, I feel like a prisoner, and she's the cop. With my bad luck, I'm probably gonna run into her, or worse," Gold said with a frustrated sigh.

He regretted those words.


End file.
